Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology area: Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics
30 pending office actions • 24 art units • 30 examiners • 0 of 30 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 71 patents granted in the last 365 days
Imec Vzw has 31 pending office actions distributed across the Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics technology area. These 31 pending office actions are assigned to 31 distinct examiners. This distribution of actions and examiners indicates that the intellectual property is spread across various specialized sub-fields. Furthermore, the work spans 24 distinct art units, which requires familiarity with multiple examination groups within the USPTO.
The busiest examiner identified in the data is HIDALGO, FERNANDO N, who is responsible for 1 busiest examiner pending action. This indicates that within the 31 pending office actions, no 1 examiner holds a concentrated portion of the portfolio's current workload. For patent practitioners, this distribution means that prosecution strategies must be tailored to the individual examiner preferences and art unit norms. The 24 distinct art units represent the organizational framework for the 31 pending office actions.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 12 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.
Every pending office action with a known statutory deadline, placed on a days-until-due axis. Dots left of Today are overdue; the further right, the more runway. Cases that share a deadline window stack vertically. 12 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.
Difficulty is derived from the rejection statutes on the most recent pending office action. §101-driven and multi-statute cases are graded Hard; §112-only and obviousness-type double-patenting cases are graded Easy; everything else is Medium. "Unknown" means we have not yet parsed a statute for that office action.
| Bucket | Cases |
|---|---|
| §101 + other | 1 (3%) |
| §103 only | 10 (33%) |
| §102 only | 1 (3%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 18 (60%) |
How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.
Manual office-action response work runs about 10 hours per case. The time-saved bands below show what IP Author's prosecution pipeline typically delivers — a conservative 20% on the low end, 35% in the middle, 50% on the high end.
| Examiner | Apps on this docket | Allow rate | Interview lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIDALGO, FERNANDO N | 1 | 93.4% | +1.3% |
| CARTER, JONATHAN LANGDON | 1 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| CHEN, SIBIN | 1 | 86.6% | +5.2% |
| PHILLIPS, RUFUS L | 1 | 62.6% | +32.1% |
| WANG, JING | 1 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| LEBRON DE JESUS, GRACIELA NATALIA | 1 | 31.3% | +70.9% |
| MANNAN, MIKAIL A | 1 | 68.5% | +23.5% |
| NGUYEN, HENRY H | 1 | 63.7% | +37.2% |
| VU, VU A | 1 | 92.4% | +6.6% |
| KIM, SU C | 1 | 77.8% | -11.8% |
Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18010722 | A METHOD FOR COMPUTING A HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFERENCE PATTERN | CHANG, AUDREY Y | 117d overdue |
| 18065130 | Method for Forming a Semiconductor Device | KOO, LAMONT B | 60d overdue |
| 18393221 | MICRO-ELECTRONIC COMPONENT COMBINING POWER DELIVERY AND COOLING FROM THE BACK SIDE | KIM, SU C | 2d overdue |
| 18324791 | MIXED METAL OXIDE INCLUDING MAGNESIUM AND ZINC | NGUYEN, CAM N | 19d |
| 18392429 | NANOPORE SENSING DEVICE WITH MULTIPLE SENSING LAYERS | VU, VU A | 62d |
| 18545730 | Tunneling Enabled Feedback FET | WALL, VINCENT | 75d |
| 18500642 | MAGNETORESISTIVE RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY DEVICE WITH IN-PLANE MAGNETIC LAYER | YUSHINA, GALINA G | 84d |
| 18920207 | 3D Ferroelectric Memory Structure and Method for Reading-Out the Memory Structure | HIDALGO, FERNANDO N | — |
Cases in front of an examiner whose interview lift is 10 percentage points or more — i.e. interviewed cases historically resolve more favorably than non-interviewed ones. The top 4 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18808756 | LIGHT EXCITATION AND COLLECTION DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR LIGHT EXCITATION AND COLLECTION | PHILLIPS, RUFUS L | — |
| 18666250 | REHABILITATION ROBOT OR EXOSKELETON AND COMPONENTS THEREOF | LEBRON DE JESUS, GRACIELA NATALIA | — |
| 18656921 | ARTIFICIAL IRIS, A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS, AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS, A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS, AND A METHOD FOR DETERMINING A USER-SPECIFIC PROFILE FOR AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS AND A METHOD FOR DETERMINING A USER-SPECIFIC PROFILE FOR AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS | MANNAN, MIKAIL A | — |
| 18397221 | BIO-FET-BASED PEPTIDE SEQUENCING METHOD AND DEVICE | NGUYEN, HENRY H | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 2813 | 2 |
| 2815 | 2 |
| 2827 | 1 |
| 3796 | 1 |
| 2877 | 1 |
| 3774 | 1 |
| 1657 | 1 |
| 2897 | 1 |
| 2899 | 1 |
| 2898 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18920207 | 3D Ferroelectric Memory Structure and Method for Reading-Out the Memory Structure | HIDALGO, FERNANDO N | 2827 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 18, 2024 |
| 18906945 | Method for Thinning a Semiconductor Substrate | CARTER, JONATHAN LANGDON | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 04, 2024 |
| 18818054 | Common Mode Interference Suppression In An Amplifier Circuit For A Neuromodulation Device | CHEN, SIBIN | 3796 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 28, 2024 |
| 18808756 | LIGHT EXCITATION AND COLLECTION DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR LIGHT EXCITATION AND COLLECTION | PHILLIPS, RUFUS L | 2877 | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 19, 2024 |
| 18802294 | Method For Producing A Substrate Comprising Scanning Probe Microscopy Tips | WANG, JING | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 13, 2024 |
| 18666250 | REHABILITATION ROBOT OR EXOSKELETON AND COMPONENTS THEREOF | LEBRON DE JESUS, GRACIELA NATALIA | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 16, 2024 |
| 18656921 | ARTIFICIAL IRIS, A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS, AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS, A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS, AND A METHOD FOR DETERMINING A USER-SPECIFIC PROFILE FOR AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS AND A METHOD FOR DETERMINING A USER-SPECIFIC PROFILE FOR AN ARTIFICIAL IRIS | MANNAN, MIKAIL A | 3774 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 07, 2024 |
| 18397221 | BIO-FET-BASED PEPTIDE SEQUENCING METHOD AND DEVICE | NGUYEN, HENRY H | 1657 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 27, 2023 |
| 18392429 | NANOPORE SENSING DEVICE WITH MULTIPLE SENSING LAYERS | VU, VU A | 2897 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 62d | Pending | Dec 21, 2023 |
| 18393221 | MICRO-ELECTRONIC COMPONENT COMBINING POWER DELIVERY AND COOLING FROM THE BACK SIDE | KIM, SU C | 2899 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 2d overdue | Pending | Dec 21, 2023 |
| 18545610 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CAPTURING ANALYTE PARTICLES IN A LIQUID | EOM, ROBERT J | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 19, 2023 |
| 18545730 | Tunneling Enabled Feedback FET | WALL, VINCENT | 2898 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 75d | Pending | Dec 19, 2023 |
| 18541931 | LOW-LOSS OPTICAL BENT WAVEGUIDE CORE | KIANNI, KAVEH C | 2874 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 15, 2023 |
| 18509500 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING A MONITOR MATERIAL OF A PROCESS | BOWERS, NATHAN ANDREW | 1799 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 15, 2023 |
| 18500642 | MAGNETORESISTIVE RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY DEVICE WITH IN-PLANE MAGNETIC LAYER | YUSHINA, GALINA G | 2811 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 84d | Pending | Nov 02, 2023 |
| 18486370 | METHOD FOR INTERCONNECTING A BURIED WIRING LINE AND A SOURCE/DRAIN BODY | WIEGAND, TYLER J | 2812 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 13, 2023 |
| 18472122 | DYNAMIC RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF FABRICATING SAME | ARMAND, MARC ANTHONY | 2813 | §102 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Sep 21, 2023 |
| 18468181 | Fabrication of Through-Silicon Vias | CUNNINGHAM, KIERAN MURRAY | 2893 | §103 | Final Rejection | 22d | Pending | Sep 15, 2023 |
| 18324791 | MIXED METAL OXIDE INCLUDING MAGNESIUM AND ZINC | NGUYEN, CAM N | 1736 | §103§112Other | Final Rejection | 19d | Pending | May 26, 2023 |
| 18197841 | VERTICAL LASER EMITTER AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF | NELSON, HUNTER JARED | 2828 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 23d | Pending | May 16, 2023 |
| 18031668 | A COLLECTING DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR COLLECTION OF AIRBORNE PARTICLES FROM A FLOW OF AIR | WEARE, MEREDITH H | 3791 | §103Other | Non-Final OA | 37d overdue | Pending | Apr 13, 2023 |
| 18169761 | 3D INTEGRATED CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE MEMORY AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME | BAUMAN, SCOTT E | 2815 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 15, 2023 |
| 18010722 | A METHOD FOR COMPUTING A HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFERENCE PATTERN | CHANG, AUDREY Y | 2872 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 117d overdue | Pending | Dec 15, 2022 |
| 18065918 | Method for Bonding Dies to a Carrier Substrate | OH, JIYOUNG | 2818 | §103 | Final Rejection | 24d overdue | Pending | Dec 14, 2022 |
| 18065130 | Method for Forming a Semiconductor Device | KOO, LAMONT B | 2813 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 60d overdue | Pending | Dec 13, 2022 |
| 17869289 | Semiconductor Structure with an Epitaxial Layer Stack for Fabricating Back-side Contacts | IQBAL, HAMNA FATHIMA | 2817 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 20, 2022 |
| 17720005 | Methods and Systems for Labelling Nucleic Acids | SWITZER, JULIET CAROLINE | 1682 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 13, 2022 |
| 17550508 | METHOD AND SYSTEM TO PRODUCE DIES FOR A WAFER RECONSTITUTION | CULBERT, CHRISTOPHER A | 2815 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 14, 2021 |
| 17524121 | ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT, A NEURAL PROBE, AND A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT | GUERRERO ROSARIO, ANA VERUSKA | 3794 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 11, 2021 |
| 17020008 | PHOTORESIST FOR EUV AND/OR E-BEAM LITHOGRAPHY | CHAMPION, RICHARD DAVID | 1737 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 67d overdue | Pending | Sep 14, 2020 |
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